The Firm

At the top of his class at Harvard Law, he had his choice of the best in America. But he made a deadly mistake. When Mitch McDeere signed on with Bendini, Lambert & Locke of Memphis, he thought he and his beautiful wife, Abby, were on their way. Mitch should have remembered what his brother Ray -- doing 15 years in a Tennessee jail -- already knew. "You never get nothing for nothing."

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Publisher's Summary

At the top of his class at Harvard Law, he had his choice of the best in America. But he made a deadly mistake. When Mitch McDeere signed on with Bendini, Lambert & Locke of Memphis, he thought he and his beautiful wife, Abby, were on their way. The firm leased him a BMW, paid off his school loans, arranged a mortgage, and hired him a decorator. Mitch McDeere should have remembered what his brother Ray - doing 15 years in a Tennessee jail - already knew. "You never get nothing for nothing."

Now the FBI has the lowdown on Mitch's firm and needs his help. Mitch is caught between a rock and a hard place, with no choice - if he wants to live.

What the Critics Say

"Keeps the reader hooked... From the creepy first chapters... to the vise-tightening midsection and on to the take-the money-and-run finale." (The Wall Street Journal)"Irresistable...seizes the reader on the opening page and propels him through 400 more." (Newsweek)

After reading this addictive mystery-thriller many years ago, I decided to revisit this story through the audiobook. This audiobook was amazing. Great reading. Riveting plot. Mitch McDeere, a Harvard law School star, takes a too-good-to-be-true job with a law firm in Memphis. Questions arise as the body count builds, and Mitch and his wife need to figure out what's going on and how to stay alive. Unlike so many thrillers these days, there is one plot, and it is strong enough to keep me glued to this story from start to end. I've read or listened to hundreds of books of this genre, and this is in a small handful of the most fun and very best. It is up there with Finder's "Paranoia" and Baldacci's" Absolute Power." If you are looking for the best escape-reading thriller, listen to or read "The Firm." I won't say more. I don't want to be a spoiler. If you haven't read or listened to "The Firm," do it!

I read The Firm in the 90's. it's always stuck with me, even the the movie wasn't very good. I decided to listen to the book that I read in 2 days 15 years ago, and I was hooked. I would sit in my car listening, take my Zune around and listen, it's just fantastic.

As most fans know, John Grisham writes about 3 or 4 stock stories over and over again with only slight variants. If you like them (and I do) this is OK. I don't know how Grisham does it, but even though you know exactly what's going to happen as soon as you finish the first chapter, you still hang on as if you didn't to the very end. The Firm is 100% vintage Grisham and a real page-turner. Scott Brick is one of the best readers in the business IMHO.

I listen to every book Grisham wrote over and over again. At my age, I can safely hide my own Easter eggs, so my favorite books become new again in 7 or 8 months. Every Grisham book except this one. Scott Brick's narration style just does not sit well with me. His voice lilts like a Sunday School teacher's in a class of 6 year olds. Is he singing or narrating? However, other Grisham narrators like Michael Beck and Frank Muller are without peer, so I am jaded. Not about the talent, rather the story, you might say? Not so in audio books. Narration makes ALL the difference. I guess Ed Herrmann can't read 'em all, and John Boutsikakis, perhaps the best ever, left us way too early. Brick had the deck stacked against him before I hit play button. I am forever spoiled by favorite talent that I have come to enjoy immensely.

The movie was very good, and departs from the novel more than most scripts do. I liked the book just fine, but not better in this case. When I read, or the one time I listened, I saw in my mind Cruise & Brimley and the others. The story transports the reader very well, and the addition of side trips like McDeere's brother Ray, and the PI Eddie Lomax really enrich the plot. The reader FEELS the gradual swing of the pendulum as Mitch McDeere goes from exuberant new hire at the Firm, to a realization that all is not as it was represented to him, to fugitive from both the law and the mob. The action never ebbs, the story never bogs down, and the reader finds himself hanging on for dear life and loving every minute of it. The one somewhat less than believable character is Mitch's wife Abby. Her inner resolve and strength seemed to evolve from out of nowhere.

It is a good read, and the movie is very good, which is a rare thing in the inevitable "translation" give and take, but in audio it is not up to par. Still, I must recommend the book rather than the audio. Grisham’s “The Testament” is my all time favorite and listened to often.

Realistic, Suspense and Scary. This book has all three and is highly enjoyable.

What other book might you compare The Firm to and why?

Comparable to "The Chamber" also by John Grisham. Fast becoming one of my favorite authors!

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

The main character.. brilliant stuff

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. Extremely hard to put down and stop listening to. Many a night I would be up until 2 or 3 in the morning listening to this book because I found it so interesting it didn't help me get to sleep - quite the opposite in fact.

Any additional comments?

Grisham is a brilliant author and I love his books. Highly recommended!

Where does The Firm rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Out of a couple of dozen I've listened to on Audible and as an avid reader all my 83 years it is a 8Remember that I was not a Grisham fan. I chose to listen because Scott Brick is an exceptional narrator and I have chosen other novels because he has been the narrator.I never saw the movie but remember that it was a great hit at the time of its release.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot did keep me wanting to listen and not put the book down but near the denoument it started to weaken and become more implausible. I found the ending trite after all the excitement and excellent building of suspense. But as we all know reading is very subjective and another reader/listener may feel entirely different about my last statement. Mr Brick made it sound almost plausible with his excellent reading but I felt that the writer was struggling to please his audience.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

As I have said earlier I have chosen to read an authour who is new to me or who I have not been to excited about simply because Scott Brick was the narrator. Sufficeth to say he is superb as always and I rate him #1 amongst his field.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not particularly but as said before it held my attention while I was listening.

Any additional comments?

My favourite authours are David Baldacci, Stuart Woods, and Jeffrey Deavers Lincoln Rhimes series.I had not seen the film The Firm and will not spoil my enjoyment of the book by seeking it out now. The only book I ever read and the movie industry didn't foul it up in some way was The Hunt for Red October!

I saw the film many years ago having not read the book. Picked this one up recently and loved it, but couldn't remember anything from the film. So I re-watched the film after I finished this and realized why. They changed many, many key points (as often happens). This is a long way to say that if you saw the movie and haven't read/heard the book, the movie is a faint shadow and Grisham fans will love it.

Obviously the story is dated, especially from a technological point of view, but it's still worth it.

I heard a lot of books narrated by Scott Brick and this is by far one of his finest performances.

I kept thinking, "Oh no, watch out for that guy you can't trust him"..."It's no good, Mitch, you're smarter than that...no, no!" I was with him all the way!

What did you like best about this story?

I loved Mitchs' creativity! No wonder he was 5th in his graduating class! I loved how he handled Them. And he was cool in every sense of the word.

What three words best describe Scott Brick’s performance?

That was the only part I didn't care for about the story. He tried to be so slick and he came off sounding "smarmey". His accents were all off. Sorry, couldn't do it in '3 words'.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Abbey confronted the Fibbie on the bus and relayed to him so much info about the operation.....he was confounded that she knew so much and wasn't even aware of who she was. And then when she told him just how many files they had copied ...... Wow! He was amazed. He knew he wasn't dealing with just any lawyer.

Any additional comments?

Once I knew this Bendino Law Firm had thier hooks into Mitch, I couldn't put my mp3 down. I had watched the Firm on tv last year, so I had him in my mind.......mmmmm.

I've enjoyed a number of John Grisham books, but this has to be the best. It's a riveting story that kept me listening and returning to the recording as I couldn't wait to find out what happens next. The corruption described is shocking but, sadly, is believable. I was kept in suspense throughout by this juggernaut of a story.
The reader does a grand job.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Jay Grady

SW United Kingdom

1/6/11

Overall

"Different to the screenplay"

I was unsure whether or not to listen to this book as I love the film and didn't want to spoil that. However the plot is different enough that while you can recognise elements from the film it still has plenty of unexpected plot lines to keep you enthralled. I'm know happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed both the film AND the book. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Sara

Llanwrtyd wells, United Kingdom

2/25/10

Overall

"Entertaining"

This book is great if you want an easy listen which holds your interest. An exceptional law graduate unwittingly does a deal with the devil in the guise of a controlling, corrupt law firm. To add to his woes, the FBI are investigating them and try to threaten/bully him into becoming a mole/whistleblower. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, with his life and the life of his wife at stake, he has to play a clever game to extricate himself.

I bought the book because I enjoyed the film and had not read any Grisham before. Despite there being many differences between the plot of the book and film, I enjoyed the book greatly and will be reading more of the author's work. A well-narrated, enjoyable listen.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Lindy

Grimsby, United Kingdom

6/14/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Good interesting story"

If you could sum up The Firm in three words, what would they be?

Enjoyed the characters and the stamina portrayed by the characters

What did you like best about this story?

Good beats evil

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Enjoyed it all

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither

Any additional comments?

Enjoyed the relationship between Mitch and his brother

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Barbara

Stoke on Trent, United Kingdom

9/1/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"a really enjoyable experience"

What did you like most about The Firm?

a really enjoyable experience great film and amazing lying in the sun listening to a good book and not even having to turn the page. The story teller Scott Brick has a great tone to his voice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tom Cruise played a good part in the film and the same in the story sometimes we want more, then realise we dont need it all.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He makes the story work.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Any additional comments?

looking forward to my next book but which one should i choose :))

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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